For SFTOC veterans who were lucky enough to see Islet the last time they played the festival, the announcement that they will be coming back this May should warm the heart – and even moreso when you realise they’re to be doing a Soundtrack set for Bad Uncle & Hear Here. This track is taken from their latest album, Illuminated People, and should whet the whistle if you somehow missed them going wild at The Old Pint Pot in 2010.
Along with the usual readings from the regions best poets, writers and their kin, Paradox will this year be playing host to Daniel Land & The Modern Painters. This track comes from their 2010 release Love Songs for the Chemical Generation, with the video produced by Yorn – and is achingly beautiful throughout.
Naturally, we’re excited about every band that feature on the Sounds from the Other City line-up, but the joy felt when Walls joined the names playing the 2012 edition was almost enough to make us burst into tears. Almost. If we’d have been listening to Into our Midst at the time, it might have passed beyond weeping and into floods, but nevermind. If you see someone down the front, drying their eye with a hanky as they play Drowned in Manchester/Grey Lantern‘s stage, come say hi.
Cascine are one of the greatest labels of recent times, and Pandr Eyez put out one of the greatest releases of the imprint’s short history. Eyes on You is the lead track, and you should be able to hear it at Islington Mill as the band headline the Now Wave/Off with their Heads stage.
You don’t even get written about in The Wire if you’re not an amazing, innovative musician, so to make their end of year list is another level altogether. With Ekoplekz, it is easy to understand the simmering appreciation, and Fountain Square was part of the release that earned such acclaim. See it live at FAKTION‘s stage at Sacred Trinity Church
From our first batch of announcements, Regal Safari come from Brighton and are so far ahead of heir supposed peers that it is untrue. One of their first shows up north, this should be a special one – they’re playing The Black Lion for Grey Lantern / Drowned in Sound
Hateful, poetic cynicism from three men from the wilds of provincial Lancashire. Pilot Whales comes from their album Cathedral Steps, which debuted at the end of 2011, and they’ll be playing on the Fat Out Till You Pass Out stage at The Crescent.
Signed to Captured Tracks, Covergirl are comprised of members of various bands that you might have had the pleasure of hearing or even seeing before – but that’s a different matter altogether. The video to Paris Bruns sums them up perfectly – tribal drumming, a search through rubbish and the search for a missing cat. They’ll be playing for Trash-O-Rama at The Rovers Return.
Produced by Gruff Rhys (see if you can spot him in the video, too), Allergies was released through the prestigious Too Pure Singles Club at the back end of 2011. The Lovely Eggs will be playing for Underachievers at The Salford Arms, and it already looks set to be one of the most important moments of SFTOC this year.
Filmed for The Unplugged Sessions at The Windmill last spring, this Joseph & David track hints at what you can expect from them when they play Hey! Manchester’s stage at SFTOC this year.